Collapsible box.



N0.- 810,574. PATENTBD JAN. 23.1906. yW. N. lSEWBLL. COLLAPSIBLE B0X.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.26. 1902.

UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Letters Patent. Application filed February 26, 1902. Serial No. 95,748.

Specification of Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

To [all la7/,0111, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. SEWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winchester, in the county of Clark and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Collapsible Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible boxes and similar receptacles.

The obj ect .of the present invention is the provision of a box of the character mentioned which is vso constructed that the body thereof is formed entirely from a single piece of suitable material, thereby permanently uniting in an integral structure the sides, ends, and bottom, but in such relation to each other that they will fold and unfold without being disconnected, thus producing a collapsible box which is extremely simple in construction, inexpensive in its production, and one the parts of which are not liable to separation and consequent loss.

With these general objects in view and others which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood the invention consists substantially in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a box constructed in accordance with the present invention as the same appears when in use, a portion of the lid being cut away to show details of construction. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the box-body, partially collapsed. Fig. 3 is also a similar view of the box-body in its fully-collapsed position and illustrating the manner in which the same is placed in the box-lid for storage or transportation. Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view of the box-body when collapsed to illustrate more fully the relative positions of the several sections. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a modification.

In constructing the herein-described box the blank is scored longitudinally along the lines 1 l and also transversely along the lines 2 2, said scoring being at the outer face of the board, while at the inner face the board is scored along the diagonal lines 3 3 3 3 to facilitate folding of the sections designed to be colla sed inwardly. Those portions of the board immediately contiguous to, the apices of the triangles formed by the score-lines 3 3 3 3, and which apices lie at the end of the box,

are entirely removed from the blank, and consequently the blank is divided into the bottom 4, the sides 1 1, and the ends 4 4. By the score-lines 3 3 3 3, however, each of the sides l 1 is also provided with what may be termed outwardly-folding or collapsible triangular sections 2 2 2 2, while the extremities of the sides l l beyond the outwardly-folding sections 2 provide end flaps 3 3 3 3. It will thus be seen that in folding the blank the triangular ends 4 are bent upwardly, after which the sides l l are also bent upwardly, whereupon the end flaps l3 are folded around the ends 4, as clearly shown in the figures referred to, the scorelines 2 2 permitting such folding of the end flaps 3. The end flaps 3 are suitably fastened at their meeting edges, and the boxbody is thus made complete and assumes the vposition taken by all of the parts thereof when in the unfolded or distended position. Furthermore, it will be noted that the sides constitute compound sections, the triangular sections 2 folding outwardly, as previously stated, while the triangular sections intermediate thereof fold inwardly.

In order to close the box-body, a lid 5 is employed, which lid extends over the top of the body in the usual manner, and said lid is provided with a handle S, the latter being secured to the lid through the medium of loops 10 or their equivalent, which loops receive the extremities of the handle 8. The latter is provided also with loops 9, which loops are designed to extend over the loops l0, and thus the handle 8 is eectually secured to the lid 12. In order to eectually hold the lid 5 upon the body, the sides of the latter, preferably the outwardly-folding sections 2, are

provided with bayonet-slots 7, and arranged upon the lid 5 is a plurality of fasteningslides 6, the latter being provided with hooked ends designed to be received by the bayonet-slots 7, whereby the slides v are effectually held in engagement with the box-body and the lid 5 maintained thereon, the manner of engagement of the slides 6 with the boxbody being clearly illustrated in Fig. l. If desired, the form of slide shown in Fig. 5 may be substituted for that illustrated in Fig. 1, and by referring to Fig. 5 it will be observed that the slides 6 are designed to engage twin slots 7, formed in the body of the box, thus insuring a firmer connection between the slides and the sides of the body. It will also IOO IIO

be noted that the hooked ends of the slides 6 project within the inner edges ol the sides oi the lid 5, the purpose of this being to hold the body of the box when the same is collapsed within the lid, thus permitting the folded body and lid to occupy but small compass when not required for use, but at the same time maintain them together for storage and transportation purposes.

In the use of the form ol the box shown in the drawings the same may be folded or collapsed by simply pressing upon the sides 1/, the pressure being exerted inwardly, whereupon the intermediate portions ol said sides are caused to move toward the bottom 4 of the body, the score-lines 1 providing hinges, as it were, between the bottom l and said sides. Simultaneous with this movement the outwardly-folding sections 2 will collapse upon the intermediate portions of the sides 1, as shown in Fig. 2, the score-lines 3 serving, as it were, as hinges between the sections 2/ and the intermediate portions ol the sides l. As pressure is continued to be exerted upon the sides the end flaps 3, constituting the ends of the boX, will fold upon the sections 2/ and the body will be caused to assume the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and if it be desired to insert the body in the lid the same may be introduced in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 and held in the lid through the medium ol the ends oll the slides 6.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. A collapsible box, comprising a collapsible body, the edges of which are provided with bayonet-slots, in combination with a lid, and slides carried by said lid, the ends of said slides being hooked and projecting within the inner edges of the sides of the lid, whereby said ends are adapted to engage the bayonet-slots of the body for holding the lid thereon, and also to embrace the body, when collapsed and placed in the lid, for holding the body within the lid.

2. A collapsible box, comprising a body, the sides of which are formed of compound sections, the intermediate sections of said sides being adapted to fold inwardly, while the end sections are adapted to fold outwardly and upon the intermediate sections, thereby e'liecting a collapsing or folding of the box, the free edges of the sides being provided with bayonet-slots, ends carried by the bottom ot' the body, end flaps carried by the sides and embracing the ends of the bottom, and means vfor fastening said end flaps together, in combination with a lid, and slides carried by said lid, the ends of said slides being hooked and projecting within the inner edges of the sides of the lid, whereby said ends are adapted to engage the bayonet-slots of the body for holding the lid thereon, and also to embrace the body, when collapsed and placed in the lid, for holding the body within the lid.

WILLIAM N. SEVVELL.

Witnesses:

P. B. WINN, J. W. POYNTER. 

